Nigel is Muppets Tonight’s stressed-out director. His mood often shifts suddenly from mellow to frantic or vice versa, depending on how well the show is going, and how much coffee he's been drinking. Unlike most characters with eyelids (which usually slide), Nigel's eyelids actually lift themselves off of his head. According to The Muppets Character Encyclopedia, he got his training at the Peter Harris TV Academy at the Elstree Campus and after Muppets Tonight ended, he changed his career to an air traffic controller. Nigel bears a physical resemblance to Muppet Show character Droop. He later made a background cameo near the end of The Muppets. A ceramic Nigel figurine was produced in France, as part of a series of Muppet fèves. This is the only example of Nigel merchandise.